Since the lawn is such an important part of the property, it often causes the biggest problems. Although many gardeners are afraid to substitute artificial turf, you can’t beat the real thing. If you want a good lawn, you have a good foundation underneath. When you build your own, you can be sure of what goes into its construction. If you inherit an arrangement, you can only hope that the architect was careful and did a good job.
Unfortunately, many people feel a little scratching the soil, adding a little fertilizer and seed. it is to her. If you are very lucky, you could get away with it. Most people don’t. Even a well-constructed lawn that has been trouble-free for years can develop problem areas. Sometimes neglect results in a lawn that is in desperate need of fertilizer, lime, mulch or other cultural aids Weathers, hard use or other adversities can weaken grass plants to the point where disease or insects can cause real problems. How often do I hear people say “My lawn is always beautiful and suddenly it all looks awful.”
Most problems don’t happen overnight. Usually the decline was gradual and not apparent unless you were very observant. Gradually, a few hundred thousand individual plants died. For nature abhors a vacuum, a certain plant is filled in a cave. Suddenly you realize that your lawn is full of weeds. When more aggressive weeds not only fill your lawn but crowd it, your lawn suffers. So you buy one of the many looters in the market and kill the invaders. But this is not problem solving. Unless you can correct the fundamental reason why the weeds appeared in the first place, the dead weeds will eventually be replaced by even more weeds.
The dearest grass needs to be removed from the soil because it is too acidic. drier, too wet, or completely alien to growing plants. For whatever reason, your work will probably take a little detective work. Lack of top soil is probably the most serious problem to solve. You need at least four good inches of curl and six or more is ideal. It’s hard to find a good Revelli, and if you can invest, they’ll want an arm and a leg for it.
So if you have one of those impossible situations where you peel back the thin crust. Don’t waste your money on your seed and lawn supplements. Buy the cheapest seed you can get. Sow enough for annual grass every year, and you will be much less worried about the money.
Even the best forests can be vulnerable to injury from insects and diseases. Weather has a lot to do with these problems. The recent dry spell weakened many of the plants at home and – unless water was available – killed many of the plants. Weakened plants are always more prone to damage, so it would be good to give your lawn a little extra attention in this case. Once the grass grows, the weather will be cooler and a little wetter than it was this summer.
If the lawn has not been mowed for two or three years, make this fall. A soil test can tell if you are in real trouble. In most cases, you will probably need at least 50 pounds of agricultural limestone per 1,000 feet of grass area. Until you get the soil in the right condition, you’re probably wasting fertilizer. And by the way, did you know that lawn experts find that fall is the best time to fertilize grass? Apply as directed, no later than mid-September. A little extra work on your part this year should produce a nice lawn next spring.
Mac Perry’s Florida Clipping and Garden Care Mac Perry.
